


Safe House

by rileywrites



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Feral Derek, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sterek Bingo 2017, post 3b, sbcomfort, sbderekreturns, sbdivergent, sbferal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 16:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10881033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rileywrites/pseuds/rileywrites
Summary: Derek comes back at the end of junior year, but he isn't all there. Stiles just wants him to be okay.





	Safe House

 

 

 

It's June. 

It's June, and Stiles' junior year is finally over, and he isn't sure what to do with himself over the summer. The last six months have been tied up in getting better and keeping up with school, and now... 

Now it's June. 

...

Stiles goes running every morning now, one of Morrell's suggestions to help him keep his head on straight. It feels good to run for the sake of running, without something dangerous at his heels. She's right, it does help his mental health, gives him a reason to get up every morning, gets his body in shape in the process.

He's started to run in the Preserve, a new, careful process that involves talking himself down from mini-panics every couple of miles. He can do it, and he will do it, but it takes time. The first two weeks, he refused to run without someone else with him, but now he can be in the woods alone-- so long as he doesn't go in too deep.

He's alone in the woods, and that's okay.

According to his FitBit Stiles has run four miles today, two laps of the bright, airy outer public trail. He had a nightmare last night, so he isn't going to venture in further.

He feels eyes on him, prickling down his spine and chilling his blood. Stiles whirls, hand on his pepper spray.

No one. Tranquil woods, little forest critters, dust motes in the sun.

Stiles keeps running.

...

He feels it again the next morning. Skin crawling, chills down his spine, the unshakeable feeling of being watched.

He moves more quickly this time, and he catches a glimpse of a black fluffy tail sliding into the underbrush. A dog, maybe?

"Hello? Is someone there?"

When nothing happens, Stiles keeps running.

...

This happens every day for the next week. Scott is convinced Stiles has lost it (again), but Morell is just as cryptic as ever.

"You have good instincts, Stiles. Trust them."

The next time he runs, he goes deeper. Whatever is out there, it hasn't hurt him yet.

He's just starting to relax when the gigantic wolf comes bounding out onto the trail.

Stiles tries to yell, but it dies in his throat when the beast makes fucking eye contact with eyes like blue-green kaleidoscopes that look fucking familiar. Then, they flash electric blue.

"Derek?"

Huge black ears twitch at the mention, and the wolf's eyes are glowing steadily now.

"Holy shit, you're Derek. Can you understand me? Can you go back to human? Can all werewolves do this, or just born ones?"

Wolf-Derek closes the gap between them and snuffles happily at Stiles' underarms, massive paws almost dwarfing Stiles' feet.

"Whoa, hey big guy, easy. Easy, don't eat the Stiles." Because he can't help himself, Stiles pets Derek's huge head, scritching behind his ears like he's a German Shepherd or something. It earns him a happy rumble. "Okay, so you're definitely Derek, because you aren't eating me. But you aren't all there, are you?"

Derek answers by licking his face.

…

"Feral," Scott repeats, dubious.

"Feral," Deaton confirms. "I'm not sure why, because there's no evidence of outside influence, no magic binding him to this form. It may be his instincts trying to protect his conscious mind. It wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened."

"So his wolf is just… refusing to human?" Stiles is petting Derek's head, because the wolf growls unhappily when he stops. "Is there a way to convince him otherwise?"

Deaton shrugs, which is less than reassuring. "He has to feel safe. I'm sure he hasn't felt safe in almost fifteen years, so good luck."

Scott and Stiles exchange a look, and Scott nods to the rumbling beast beneath Stiles' hand.

"He's attached to you, Stiles. I'm putting you on Derek duty. Isaac and I have enough to do keeping the perimeter secure, and Lydia is still helping Allison with physical therapy most days." Scott smirks. "Besides, you don't seem too put off by his affection."

Stiles huffs, and Derek huffs even louder. Smartass.

"Yeah, okay, fine. But I can't exactly take him home, can I?"

Deaton smiles, enigmatic. "There is a cabin on Hale property that Kate didn't touch. I don't think she knew it existed. It belonged to the emissary before me, so you should be plenty safe there."

Stiles looks down at Derek, and Derek grins, tongue hanging out.

"We have to tell my dad," Stiles points out. "He won't be thrilled that I'm moving in with you."

Derek noses at Stiles' hand until he resumes petting.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay, we'll move into the cabin."

…

The first night after Stiles moves to the cabin, there's a thunderstorm.

Stiles wakes to find a wolf the size of a small horse curled up into a tight shivering ball at the end of his bed.

"Derek? Hey, Derek, c'mere man. You don't have to be alone right now." Stiles has imagined telling him that a thousand times, but never quite like this. "Come on, there's plenty of room."

Derek stands long enough to move to Stiles' side, curling up again where Stiles can reach him. Every bolt of lightning and crash of thunder makes him shake harder, whining pitifully with his nose tucked under the pillow. Stiles runs his fingers through Derek's fur, trying to ease his fear.

"You're okay, Derek. I've got you. The mean old storm can't get us in here. I promise." Stiles sighs. "Come on, man. We need you human."

Eventually, Derek settles enough to fall asleep. Stiles drifts off with his arm around Derek's chest.

…

They sleep like that the next night, and the next, and most nights thereafter. On the full moon, Scott and Isaac take Derek running, leaving Stiles to contemplate every life choice that ended up with him sharing a bed with a wolf.

He hasn't slept this well in years.

Then, one morning two weeks into this hot mess of an adventure, Stiles wakes with his arms around a man instead of a beast. A very naked, very attractive, very Derek man, still sound asleep.

Stiles is equal parts thrilled, terrified, and aroused. He tosses the covers over Derek to preserve his decency, waking him in the process.

"Derek! Derek, man, please don't kill me, but I've missed your human face and-"

Derek blinks at him with those same vacant eyes in a shifted face. Stiles deflates.

"And you aren't all back yet. Baby steps, I guess." Stiles takes a deep breath. "Okay, first things first. You need pants."

…

It's easier to coax mostly-human Derek to Deaton's than it was to coax wolf Derek there, but it would help if Derek would wear a fucking shirt.

"Dude, he didn't wear them before. Why would he wear them now?" Scott laughs. "You're lucky he agreed to pants."

"True. Baby steps, right Der?"

Derek blinks at him again, ears flicking as he tries to process the words.

"Right. Still no language. Let's see what Deaton thinks."

As it turns out, Deaton thinks that it's a good sign. That's all he can add, which is less than helpful, but Stiles will take it.

"Come on, Derek. Let's get back to the preserve, before you scare some passerby with your wolf-face." Stiles bundles him into his car and takes the back roads back to the cabin. (Back home, a tiny voice whispers.)

...

Somehow, spending most of his time with almost-back Derek is harder than wolf Derek. Derek is just as cuddly, just as demonstrative, just as over-protective as he was in full-shift, but now Stiles sees just how far gone he is. It's harder to pretend that he's okay.

…

It's August.

It's August, and Stiles has to go back to school for his senior year, and he isn't sure what to do with himself now that summer is over. The last three months have been tied up in taking care of Derek and getting in shape, and now…

Now it's August.

…

Wherever Derek's conscious mind is hiding, his body has figured out how to shift in and out of all three of his forms, and he can do it on command if Stiles asks nicely. He's also content to stay in the preserve, always coming home to the little cabin. It means Stiles can spend more time at the house with his dad without worrying too much about Derek, and it means the transition back to school is smoother than Stiles anticipated.

He doesn't expect to see Derek in town.

He definitely doesn't expect Derek to pull up to school in the Camaro in late September, fully cognizant and capable of being a functioning human being for the first time in months.

"Derek?"

"Get in the car," Derek commands, gruff. "We'll get the Jeep later."

"I- okay." Stiles does as he's told, too shocked to manage anything else. "You're back. I mean, you you, and not just your body."

Derek pulls out of the lot, a smoother driver after months away than Stiles could ever dream of being.

"I'm back." Then, like he can't help himself, Derek touches Stiles' face. Scenting, Stiles' mind supplies. He's done it hundreds of times, but this is different. "You took care of me."

"I did." Stiles does not take Derek's hand, no matter how much he wants to. "Where did you go?"

Derek shrugs, turning onto the highway toward the preserve. "I don't know. It's like… like I was there and not there all at once. I… I remember everything."

Fuck. Stiles told out-of-it Derek things he hasn't told anyone, things he never imagined Derek would remember

"Where are you taking me?" Stiles asks after a panicked moment. "Where are we going?"

"Home," Derek rumbles. "I want to have a conversation where both of us can talk, and I don’t feel safe anywhere else yet."

"Yeah. That's… okay, that's a good plan." Stiles fidgets with his sleeves, his hoodie-strings, his backpack strap. "Let's go home."

…

It's June.

It's June, and Stiles' senior year is finally over, and he knows exactly what to do with himself over the summer. The last ten months have been spent getting ready for college and defending Beacon Hills and getting to know himself better and now…

Now it's June.

…

Derek pulls Stiles into a hug the moment graduation is over, and Stiles buries his face in Derek's neck.

"I'm so proud of you," Derek whispers. "You did it."

"Yeah, I did." Stiles pulls back just enough to kiss him-- their first.

It's soft, and sweet, and perfect.

...

It's June. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr here.


End file.
